Plateau’s Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, has confirmed that around 200 students were trapped in a collapsed school building in Jos.
The incident happened at The Saints Academy secondary school during exams. Ashoms, along with other officials, visited the site and noted the school had about 400 students in total.
He mentioned that the part of the school that collapsed had approximately 200 students inside.
“The collapsed building has resulted in casualties, and injured students are still being evacuated to hospitals.
“We cannot however, ascertain the exact number of casualties until the evacuation is completed
“The emergency workers are doing a lot in the rescue efforts.
“The Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has urged the medical personnel in the hospitals to ensure that they save the lives of survivors.
“They should not ask for money or anything because this is an emergency situation,” he stated.
The commissioner highlighted that the incident underscored the necessity of implementing Order 003 by the state government. This order aims to enforce the Greater Jos Master Plan to prevent such unfortunate incidents. He pointed out that the collapsed school building, located in a waterlogged area, clearly did not meet construction standards.
Ashoms mentioned that the Jos Metropolitan Development Board would take steps to demolish unsafe buildings and ensure that all ongoing construction projects adhere strictly to required standards moving forward.
